XVI: Code Red
Marc We waited. For days, the soldiers of the Knights, Drake, Xena, and I all waited for the Zoni to attack. It was a very intense period of time. We barely slept, we barely talked, and we barely had any time to think. The inhabitants of the city must have known that something was up since multitudes of soldiers started showing up. Most of them left the city, making it desolate. It was creepy to see a major city like Washington D.C., almost empty. There was no sign of Amber after her fight with Xena and Drake a few days ago. They had told me what had happened, and although I was sad about her disappearing, I knew that she wasn’t our biggest concern. Someday, I would find a way to make things work out with her. “Hey Marc, you feeling okay?” Drake asked, as if he could read my mind. I shrugged. “I’ll be fine. I’m sure Amber can take care of herself, wherever she is.” Xena walked up to me, and she put her hand on my shoulder. “I’m really sorry about this. It’s my fault. I should’ve known how she felt about me sooner. Then, maybe, things wouldn’t have turned out so crazy.” I laughed, and I playfully punched Xena in the shoulder. “Don’t bullshit yourself Xena. Amber was crazy, honestly. There was no way you could’ve known.” We all laughed. As insane as these past few days were, I was glad that the three of us were still together. I was especially happy that Xena managed to get her powers back as well. To win against the Zoni, she had to be at the top of her game. Mizo After three long days, we arrived at Washington D.C. It was quite a beautiful city. They still kept their old Roman architecture from the past, but other sections of the city were state of the art. It was a pleasure to see. Our navy was massive, but their land forces equaled ours. The skies were our only advantage, if we used it correctly. Xena I saw our adversaries at last. The Zoni. There were a lot of them, but there were a lot of us too. I was confident that we could take them on, and win. But, judging from their past actions, this was not the group to underestimate. I already lost a rebel group and city I held dear to these monsters. I wasn’t about to let that happen again. On their largest ship, I saw two men walk out. One was the same bald man I recognized from earlier, and the other one looked like a soldier who was also a nerd. It was Mizo, and his accomplice. Mizo pointed two of his fingers into his ear, and he began talking. I immediately heard every word he said, like he had a radio implanted in my head. “Greetings, Avatar Xena. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. If you can, let’s talk for a moment. You may bring your team with you if you’d like,” he said calmly. I looked over to Marc and Drake, then I replied. “Ok, we can talk, but if you try anything fishy, I’ll incinerate you on the spot.” He laughed. “Splendid Avatar.” Mizo’s ship moved closer to shore. Once it got close enough, Drake, Marc, and I boarded. Even though I had my powers back, it was still a little intimidating to see all the Zoni soldiers again. It was quite a magnificent ship though. It was clearly based off the old aircraft carriers that various navies used to use. The design was similar, but the technology was far more advanced. I assumed that Mizo’s room was on the highest point of the ship. Drake looked concerned. “Xena, are you sure this is a good idea? What if this is a trap?” “Don’t worry Drake. I have my powers back. They can’t do anything to us,” I replied confidently. “Just because you have your powers back doesn’t mean you’re invincible,” Marc chastised. I glared at him, but in my heart, I knew he was right. A crew member directed us to Mizo’s room on the top of the ship, and he urged us inside. There, we finally saw Mizo and his accomplice, face to face. “Welcome Avatar Xena, and friends. Please, make yourselves comfortable,” Mizo said. The three of us grabbed the nearest chairs. Then, Mizo and his accomplice sat down across from us. “I’m sure you all have heard of me already, but I will introduce myself anyway. My name is Mizo, leader of the Zoni. The man seated to my right is Ozone. He’s our military expert,” he said. Following his lead, I introduced myself. “Pleasure to meet you both. I’m Xena, this is Drake, and his name is Marc.” Ozone smiled a creepy smile. “Nice to meet you three.” “So, let’s cut to the chase. Why did you invite us all here?” I asked. “Good question,” Mizo said. “As you know, the Zoni have already taken over France, along with most of the Eastern Hemisphere, and now we plan to have the United States for ourselves as well. We’re on the brink of uniting the world under our leadership. And we have an offer for you.” “What is it?” Drake demanded. “Join us. With the power of the Avatar, and our influence, there won’t be a single force in the world that could stand against us. We would make an unstoppable team. I know you weren’t thinking clearly the first time we gave you this offer, so I’m presenting to you another chance. What do you say?” Mizo implored. “Absolutely not! I have no intention on ruling the world like a dictator,” I refused sternly. “Oh, but Xena my dear, isn’t that what you’ve been doing for the past decade? Using your powers to rule over the people?” “What? Of course I haven’t. I used my powers to help people fight the robots. Don’t get it twisted.” “It’s all the same really. By using your powers to lead the humans against the robots, you asserted your position of power. You’re no different from me,” Mizo said. I didn’t know what to say. Luckily, Drake came to my rescue. “Look, you invited us here to make an offer, and we’ve refused. Now, if you don’t mind, we’ll be heading off.” As Drake walked towards the door, Ozone quickly maneuvered around us and blocked his path. “Did you really think we were asking you? This was a command,” Ozone said menacingly. “Oh yeah? Well bad news for you buddy. We’re not helping the Zoni. Not now, not ever,” Marc said. “And how do you expect to force us to say yes?” Drake challenged. Without warning, Ozone jumped in the air, and he kicked Drake and Marc at the same time. The impact sent the two of them flying into a wall. “Hey!” I yelled. I tried to help them, but Mizo jumped in my way. “Hold on, Avatar. I’m not finished with you yet either,” Mizo sneered. “Yes, you are,” I said. And then, Mizo attacked. His attacks were swift and precise, but my reflexes were faster. However, he was moving too fast for me to make a counter attack. All I could do was dodge. When he landed a punch to my face, I staggered backwards. Then, he kicked my shin, and roundhouse kicked my chest. I was completely caught off guard, because Mizo’s hits actually hurt me. Furious, I charged him. Unfortunately, he easily anticipated my movements, and moved out of the way. After he dodged me, he kicked me in the back. I screamed in pain because it was the same place where I was shot. Angry and confused, I asked, “How are you doing all this? No regular human can put up a fight against me.” Mizo laughed. “Your time killing the robots has made you arrogant Avatar. I’ve been studying you for a long time. I know all of your weak points, and all of your fighting styles. You stand no chance against me. Your arrogance will be your undoing.” I charged up an electric blast to fire at him. “Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. We’re in a metal ship. If the electricity hits the wall, you’ll electrocute everyone, including your friends,” he said. Damn it. I should’ve listened to Drake. All of this was a trap, and I fell for it. “You don’t know what you’re up against Avatar. Once again, you’re in over your head,” Mizo taunted. There had to be some way to defeat Mizo. There just had to be. With me in here, the Knights were without their strongest soldier. Which meant they were probably under attack. Oh no… Next time on 13th Redux... Category:Chapters